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When a Witness Recants

Play trailer When a Witness Recants 2026 1h 52m Crime Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 7 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
Revisiting a 1983 school murder from his youth, Ta-Nehisi Coates joins Dawn Porter to expose how three innocent boys were framed, imprisoned for 36 years, and forever shaped by a justice system that failed them and their community.

Critics Reviews

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Robert Daniels RogerEbert.com 4d
"When a Witness Recants," a harrowing investigative piece from HBO Documentary Films, moves with the sure-footedness of the truth stepping out into the light. Go to Full Review Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter 4d
Dawn Porter’s gripping documentary takes a measured, multipronged approach as it examines the nightmarish miscarriage of justice, the longed-for and extraordinary resolution, and the possibly unhealable wounds for almost everyone involved. Go to Full Review Beandrea July IndieWire 4d
B-
At its best, the documentary functions as an act of deep listening and a step -- however incomplete -- toward reckoning with the harm done to three Black boys who deserved far better. Go to Full Review Alan French Sunshine State Cineplex 22h
8/10
When a Witness Recants is an early contender for the best documentary of 2026. It’s brimming with emotion, and Porter’s storytelling has rarely been this good. Go to Full Review Abe Friedtanzer Awards Buzz 5d
8/10
This film is deeply personal and affecting, offering an unflinching and cripplingly honest picture of three people who had so much of their lives stolen from them. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Dawn Porter

Director

Dawn Porter

Producer

Miriam Weintraub

Producer

Jennifer Oko

Producer

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Executive Producer

Kenyatta Matthews

Executive Producer

Movie Info

Synopsis Revisiting a 1983 school murder from his youth, Ta-Nehisi Coates joins Dawn Porter to expose how three innocent boys were framed, imprisoned for 36 years, and forever shaped by a justice system that failed them and their community.
Director
Dawn Porter
Producer
Dawn Porter, Miriam Weintraub, Jennifer Oko
Production Co
Trilogy Films
Genre
Crime, Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 52m